Wishin' and Hopin'
by Guchi-kouhai
Summary: With conflicting schedules, Tamaki and Kyouya rarely see one another these days. Both are searching for a way to fix this, but will Tamaki’s grandmother let them?
1. Prologue Chance

**Wishin' and Hopin' **

_Title:_ Wishin' and Hoping'

_Pairing:_ Kyouya/Tamaki and... others to flesh it out a bit

_Rating:_ PG13 (at the moment)

_Warnings:_ Spoilers for the anime and up to ch 56 of the manga

_Disclaimer:_ All characters belong to Bisco Hatori, I just take them and put them in lovely slashy situations

_Summary: _With conflicting schedules, Tamaki and Kyouya rarely see one another these days. Both are searching for a way to fix this, but will Tamaki's grandmother let them?

A/N This is a birthday present for my best friend, Buckle. She can never find any decent stories of Tamaki and Kyouya and so I wrote one for her. I'm posting on chapter a day for the week of her birthday. It's going to be ten chapters but I'm only posting five at the moment (its all I have done) the next five are for her graduation. My beta is Nagi, and she is very helpful. Any mistakes are purely mine.

**Prologue - Chance**

"More," the customer said and pushed his glass forward, dark eyes red and bloodshot. He was surrounded by the paper napkins the bar gave out and what looked to be pieces of copier paper. The paper was folded so to look like birds. You could see the progression of the man's drinking by the state of the birds. The ones farthest from him were neat and folded well. The closer you got to him though, the messier the folded creatures became. The edges no longer met as well and the heads (or were those the tail?) were folded at a tilt.

Tamaki Suoh shook his head; effectively moving his shaggy blond hair out of his violet eyes so he could look at the man and the origami around him. He nodded and poured more of the man's drink into his empty glass. "Enjoy your drink," Tamaki said cheerily and turned to help a couple that had just sat down on the opposite end of the bar.

The pile around the man grew larger as the night progressed and Tamaki kept the man's glass full and a tally of how many times he'd refilled it in his head.

During a lull, the man looked up at Tamaki and moaned. "I have a wish you know. An impossible wish, the only way to get it is the cranes..." the man said, not even slurring his words. Tamaki was impressed; the man had drunk quite a lot.

"Cranes? How can birds help you with your wish?" Tamaki asked, genuinely interested.

The man's eyes widened and he looked taken aback. "Birds? Have you never heard of the girl who folded a thousand paper cranes?"

Tamaki looked at the customer and blinked. "Um...no? Would you tell me about her?" Tamaki asked, getting excited to learn something new about Japan. It'd been awhile since he had learned something new; he'd been in here so long. "Please?"

The man thought for a moment and then smiled at Tamaki. "Well, it started during World War Two when the Americans dropped Bomb on Hiroshima. You do know about that, right?"

Tamaki silently nodded, and the man continued.

"Well, the girl was two when it came, but was fine until she was twelve. She was then diagnosed with the bomb disease—leukaemia. She got very sick, but then remembered the legend about folding paper cranes. That the gods so loved the image of the crane and were so impresses with someone who folded a thousand that they would grant that person one wish. So-"

"So she folded a thousand cranes and got better right?" Tamaki hopefully asked the man.

The man looked at Tamaki, and the blond blushed and hunched over. Before he spoke anymore, the man tapped his glass, wanting more to drink. Tamaki nodded and hurried to get the man his drink. When he returned, the man continued.

"The girl started folding paper cranes, so she could be granted her wish to get better. She folded 1,500 before she died."

"Oh no!" Tamaki said, for he had sincerely hopped that the girl had lived.

"Yes," the man said, but stood up and pulled his wallet out from his pocket and took out three paper cranes from it and set them on the bar. These three were colourful and well made, the edges coming cleanly together and the heads looked normal. "So now many people all over the world fold paper cranes for peace and health and send them to the Genbaku-no-Ku-no-Zoh [_the Statue for the Children of the Atomic Bomb_, in the Hiroshima Peace Park. It's a beautiful place."

Tamaki looked at the tiny paper cranes and then at the man, and idea in his head. "Could you show me how to make these?"

The man looked at Tamaki with surprise in his eyes. "Of course, but perhaps on your next brake, I don't want you to get in trouble with your boss."

Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Okay! Don't leave!" Tamaki said and turned to pay attention to the other customers. When he looked back at the man he was fiddling with the paper napkin that the commoners liked to use.

_Maybe,_ Tamaki thought as he went to help the other customers. _Maybe if I make a thousand, Kyouya and I__ might be able to__ actually be together. I don't know about him, but this schedule is killing me. I want- need to be with him more! If he wasn't so uptight about coming to see me here, maybe it would be different, but..._ Tamaki sighed. Their current schedule was horrible on the small love life they had had before Tamaki got this job, but now it was slowly and efficiently it was killing it. _My wish would be for us to be able to be together more..._

On his last break, Tamaki set next to the man, a piece of paper he's found in the back in his hand. "Okay so what do I do?" the blond asked.

The man then showed Tamaki the process of making a paper crane. It was more complicated then he had expected and he wasn't sure he'd remember it. When they were done, the man looked at Tamaki, his expression serious.

"Fold five more of these tonight and you won't forget how. If you plan on making a thousand for a wish, no one can help you make them. They all have to be done by you and you alone," the man said and stood up, taking his rather large bill to the register to pay.

* * *

Over the remainder of his shift, Tamaki made five more paper cranes, just like the man had said. He put them in his bag when he was done with each one. As he swept the floor and cleaned the counter, preparing to close up, his mind wandered. _To tell Kyouya or not to tell?_ The thought pestered him as he clocked out and waited for the subway. Running his fingers though his smoke scented hair, it repeated itself. _To tell Kyouya or not to tell?_ He could feel the bag heavy on his hip as he rode the subway, a constant reminder. As he walked up the stairs to their apartment and softly set his things down, it was circling in his head. He franticly ran over all the possible reactions his lover could make, and was slightly terrified by all of them.

When the blond stepped into the shower—after staring at Kyouya's sleeping form for a few minutes—he turned the water on as hot as he could stand it and leaned against the wall, letting the water pour on him and mingle with the tears he let escape. What could he do? This was his last job he could have before Grandmother took everything away. He had to keep it, if not for himself, for Haruhi and Kyouya. But...he never saw Kyouya anymore and with the stress of both his grandmother and Kyouya's business, they never even had time for fun anymore. Let alone each other. And he couldn't do anything about it...the wish of a thousand cranes was the only thing left to do. _But- but_, Tamaki thought as he washed the smell of the bar off his body. _But__ Kyo would just laugh at me. He'll think it won't work, a__nd would tell me I was wasting my time. Or he'd-_

**Creeeeek**

_Huh?_

"Tamaki?" a sleepy voice groaned.

Tamaki froze and turned, even though he couldn't see the man who had just walked though the door.

"Tamaki? Did you just get home?" Kyouya's sleepy voice said and Tamaki heard the clunk of the toilet seat as it hit the back of the toilet.

Tamaki gave the shower curtain a bashful look, the remembered he couldn't be seen. "Sorta..."

Though he couldn't see him, Tamaki was sure that Kyouya had raised his eyebrow at him. "It's pretty late for you." Kyouya responded simply and Tamaki could hear the flush of the toilet and the shutting of the door.

Tamaki franticly finished and dried off, quickly putting on a pair of pyjama bottoms and brushing his teeth. He walked softly into the bedroom, but stopped short at the sight of Kyouya. The other man's breathing was far too even to still be awake and the blond hung his head.

He stood and watched his lover for a while, wishing he could snap his fingers and everything would be better or he could crawl in and wake his Kyouya by slipping his hand into the other's pants—but much experience had finally done the unthinkable: taught Tamaki. He knew that the black haired man needed sleep and was scary when woken up in the middle of the night.

So, he sighed and gently crawled into bed. He rolled over and—gently, softly and still unsure after so many years—wrapped his arms around Kyouya. His last thoughts were still, _To__ tell or not to tell?_


	2. Chapter 1 Hope

A/N: Okay today's the second day of Buckle's birthday week, so here we have the second instalment of her birthday fic. Here we get a little more explanation of their circumstances (but most of it is in the next chapter), and Kyouya shows up for the first time!! Hope you guys like it!

Warning: This chapter contains spoilers for up to chapter 56 of the manga (past there it's AU) and implied Twincest. Sorry if you don't like it, don't read it.

**Chapter One - Hope**

Kyouya woke up slowly, groaning as he tried to roll out of bed. He sighed when he found he couldn't move. Turning his head, he glanced back and saw Tamaki snuggled up to him, one arm thrown over his body, holding the body close.

Rolling his eyes, he glanced at the clock and saw he could revel in his closeness with Tamaki...for a few minutes. Kyouya closed his eyes and breathed in the distinctive smell of his lover in the morning. A mixture of soap, shampoo, detergent, pure Tamaki and _clean_. The comfortable, solid weight of the blond meant a lot to Kyouya, far more then anyone who looked at the cool, stoic Ootori would be able to tell. This was one of the few times they could be together, their schedule were so conflicting. Kyouya knew that if he said anything, Tamaki would quit his job and try to find one that fit with Kyouya's own schedule, but he would never do that. Tamaki needed this job, as it was his last chance to inherit and Kyouya wouldn't take that chance from him. Plus, Tamaki liked bar tending. It made people happy.

Sighing, Kyouya looked at the clock. His time was up. He slowly raised Tamaki's arm and slid out from underneath it. He walked over the dresser and grabbed the stack of clothes he had set out the night before.

He went to the bathroom and changed, making sure to turn the light out before he opened the door so as not to wake Tamaki, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

As he travelled to work, Kyouya's thoughts raced. Though Tamaki had had this bar tending job for a good while now, the strain on their love life was starting to get to everyone. Kyouya knew the rumours around the workplace. That something had happened with his girlfriend (if only they knew how close that was to the truth—for they had long ago switched the rolls Tamaki had wrongly assigned them) and that he seriously needed to get laid. Grimacing, Kyouya refused to allow himself the pleasure of hitting his head against the wall. Oh, how they were right. He _did_ need to get laid, but if Tamaki woke him up when the blond got home, there would be hell to pay. He barely got enough sleep as it was. He couldn't-

_Wait._

Kyouya stopped thinking about his problem, as he looked around in the lobby of his workplace, searching for the blond hair that had caught his attention.

Was that Tama-?

No. Just some man with dyed blond hair. It wasn't real enough for his Tamaki. Besides, Tamaki was more than likely asleep. Kyouya continued walking, reaching his office five minutes early. He allowed himself those five minutes to fantasise about his lover. Blond hair splayed across a pillow...or the floor...or the table...or his desk. Kyouya ginned at that thought, a gleam in his eye. Oh that would be fun-

No.

No thinking about the lovely sounds Tamaki would make as Kyouya rocked into him. No thinking about those expressive purple eyes and that lovely hair, damp with sweat and his pale ivory skin, perspiration trailing down-

_No._

Kyouya closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, forcibly ejecting his thoughts about Tamaki. But, he knew that they would continue to invade his mind throughout the day.

* * *

Tamaki woke slowly, rolling over and falling out of the bed. "Oof!" He stood, letting the sheet slip down his body. He stretched and yawned, running his fingers through his hair. He walked to the kitchen and fixed some breakfast. Since he had a mission, Tamaki went with a simple breakfast of French bread, jam, and packet of yogurt. 

After eating, he put on some clothes and left the apartment he shared with Kyouya; in search of origami paper.

After three shops, Tamaki still couldn't find any origami paper and he was starting to panic. His only hope was to call someone, and who would have popped into his head except for Haruhi, of course.

"Haruhi! Haruhi! I can't find a store that sells origami paper! Where do commoners buy it?" Tamaki asked the second she picked her cell phone up.

"I don't know sempai..." Haruhi said, sighing at Tamaki's excitability. She was currently job hunting because of her approaching graduation and she wanted a good job before that happened. "Have you tried a craft store? I'm sure they would have some."

"Oh, what a great idea Haruhi!" Tamaki said and hung up, forgetting he didn't know where any craft stores were.

He continued walking down the street, smiling broadly for about three blocks before he realized he had no idea where he was going.

After a brief visit to a corner of a building (and a strong longing for his corner of woe back at Ouran) Tamaki called Haruhi again.

"Haruhi! Haruhi! Do YOU know where any craft stores are?" he asked, voice rising, slightly panicked.

Haruhi, who had realized Tamaki probably didn't know where any were and was going to call back soon, had just been looking up craft stores in a phone directory. "Yes. Where are you?" she asked him in her calm voice. When he told her, she realized he was by the twins' building which made her start wondering what to cook that night for dinner. "You have one about 6 blocks from you. Do you know how to get to it?" she asked after giving him the address.

Tamaki nodded, and then realized she couldn't see him since they were talking over the phone. "Yes, I can get there. Do you know if Hikaru or Kaoru are free today? I haven't seen them in a while, and I'd like to talk to them," the blond asked as he stood outside the Hitachiin office building and looked through the glass doors into the lobby.

"Um, Hikaru didn't mention anything this morning, but I haven't talked to Kaoru in a few days so I wouldn't know anything about his schedule," she replied. "I have to go now Tamaki, good luck finding origami paper!" **Click**

He should go get that paper, Tamaki thought, but then looked up at the Hitachiin's building and frowned. His mind spun with thoughts of Hikaru's attempt to win Haruhi after he and Kaoru's fight and how she had chosen Hikaru over everyone else in the Host Club and how that had led him to the realization that he had liked Haruhi. Not as a girl, as Kaoru had tried to convince him once, but as a person.

Because, close upon the heels of that realization was the realization that he liked Kyouya.

Around the time Haruhi was making her choice, Kyouya had started hosting again. Tamaki had to make sure his back was to the other boy everyday, or he would watch the other obsessively; a feeling of a magnitude he had never known enveloping him. A jealousy, far superior to the feeling he had felt for Haruhi, rose within him at the sight of his friend hosting the girls.

It was the way Tamaki couldn't concentrate when Kyouya was in front of him, couldn't think straight when the black haired boy's sent reached him, couldn't see the other's cool and calm face without wanting to find out what exactly would make his throw his head back in ecstasy, that made Kyouya talk to him after club was over one day.

* * *

_Tamaki was getting up to go to the door when Kyouya's voice pinned him to his spot. "Tamaki, don't go. I'd like to discuss something with you." _

_The rest of the club looked up from gathering their things, heads shifting from one student to the other. Tamaki swallowed and tried to smile, attempting to act as if nothing were the matter when in fact his heart was pounding three times faster than normal. "Sure, Kyouya," he said and sat back down. _

Good! That sounded normal, _Tamaki said to himself and then caught Haruhi's worried glance. He blinked and looked away, his gaze first landing Hikaru, then Kaoru (who had started separating himself from his brother) and finally at Hunny and Mori; each time meeting worried and understanding eyes. He nodded to his friends and they continued gathering their things to leave._

_When the door finally closed behind the last of them, Tamaki stood up and walked over to where Kyouya was standing, clipboard open, and looked out the window next to him._

"_So," he said in a cold voice. "What the hell is wrong with you?"_

_Startled, Tamaki looked over at his friend and felt heat rush up his body, making him blush. "Wha-what do you mean?" the blond stammered._

_Kyouya looked over at Tamaki and raised and eyebrow. "Don't think I haven't noticed how weird you've been around me lately, Tamaki. You no longer look at me, you purposely face away from me when I host, you leave for home the minute everyone else does. All of our preparation for the next week is done over the phone, or through e-mails, never in person anymore."_

_Tamaki stammered at his friend incoherently for a few moments before Kyouya started speaking again._

"_You have to start acting normal if you want to have the host club continue. The guests are starting to notice and they are disappointed in you; they're not going to continue to come. You need to get a hold of yourself!" the black haired boy said and looked at Tamaki full on._

_Tamaki's blood rushed and his blush deepened. He hastily looked away and-_

_**SNAP!**_ _The Shadow King's clipboard was shut and the hand that was holding it was shaking._

"_Why won't you look at me anymore?!" Kyouya yelled; annoyance, exasperation, and anger showing in his voice._

Tell him,_ Tamaki's inner voice said and the blond winced. He opened his eyes and looked at steely grey of the other's eyes, taking a deep breath. "I-I can't look at you. I just can't." _

_The look in his friend's eyes almost made Tamaki take a step back. __"Je ne peux pas te regarde parce que te faites ma ruée de sang, ma course du cœur et mon esprit se promènent. Je ne peux pas te regarde accueillir parce qu'il me fait vouloir aller à cet endroit et déchirer toutes ces filles loin de te." __Tamaki shouted, tears cascading down his face. [_I can't look at you because you make my blood rush, my heart race and my mind wander. I can't watch you host because it makes me want to go over there and rip all those girls away from you.

"_Je ne peux pas te regarde parce que la chaque fois je le fais me fait vouloir te faire monter contre un mur et te embrasser pendant qu'et poussent ma main en bas vous la culotte! Je ne peux pas te regarde parce que la chaque fois que je fais, je nous vois à l'étage, la culotte autour de nos chevilles, les cheveux trempés avec la sueur et haletant à cause de l'esprit faisant tu le sexe que nous avions juste! Je crois que je tombe amoureux de tu. C'EST POUR CELA que je ne peux pas te regarde Kyouya Ootori!"_ _Tamaki finished, angrily wiping his tears away. He desperately wanted to run away, and was going to do that if the other boy didn't say something soon. [_I can't look at you because every time I do, it makes me want to push you up against a wall and kiss you while I shove my hand down you pants! I can't look at you because every time I do, I see us on the floor, pants around our ankles, hair soaked with sweat and panting because of mind blowing sex we just had! I think I'm falling in love with you. THAT'S why I can't look at you Kyouya Ootori!

_Kyouya's eyes slowly widened as he mentally translated what Tamaki had just said. He stood there, eyes wide, seemingly frozen in time. _

_Tamaki took a step back, raising his hand to his mouth, panic rising. _No, no, no!! What have I done?! Why did I tell him, _how_ did I let myself tell him? What- No. I must leave. Maybe if I leave, he'll forget..._ He took another step back, trying not to panic, and turned running to the door._

"_Tamaki..."_

_It was almost as if a string was attached to Tamaki and stopped him the moment Kyouya opened his mouth._

"_Tamaki...wait."_

_Turning, Tamaki saw that Kyouya's head was bowed and his shoulders were hunched. He didn't seem like the proud Ootori everyone saw at club, but instead the teenager he would have been if he hadn't have been born into the 'privilege' of being an Ootori._

_Taking a step forward, the blond bowed his head as well. "Kyouya...mon ami. I-I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have said that. I just couldn't take it anymore. You. Just...being there, and-and hosting! I couldn't believe it. I was jealous; a jealousy far bigger than anything I felt for Haruhi...It was insane. I'm so-"_

_As Tamaki had been talking, Kyouya had pulled himself together and walked over to where the blond was standing. Reaching out, he wrapped his hand around Tamaki's neck and kissed the blond-

* * *

_

"Tono? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Kaoru. That's Tono, staring off into space like always. He hasn't changed a bit."

"Yah..."

Tamaki blinked, pulling himself out from his memory and looked at the two Hitachiin brothers standing in front of him. "Oh, hello Hikaru, Karou," the blond said, nodding to each in turn. "How are you?"

Hikaru smiled and walked over to Tamaki. "Things are going well. I'm about to open a new line for comm- er for those 'financially challenged' as Haruhi likes to put it. I'm pretty excited. I think it will do well."

"Oh, that sounds interesting!" Tamaki exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement.

Kaoru walked over and leaned against the wall of the building. "I'm about to open a new formal dress line and am working on a fund for underprivileged designers to get into a good university."

"Oh, wow! That sounds impressive!" Tamaki said. He had learned in the years since the twins split their freshman year that you just didn't mention how different they seamed. You could tell just by looking at them, really.

Hikaru was standing next to Tamaki, smiling and at ease. His clothes were fashionable with a hint of wild rebel in them. His hair was red with goldish streaks in it and longer than it had been in school. It was just long enough to be pulled back at the base of his neck.

Kaoru, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His clothes, while being fashionable, wee more business-like and professional. His hair was brown with red streaks and just a little shorter than it had been in school.

It was obvious they were completely separate people now.

"So," Hikaru said and looked at Tamaki, "What are you doing here? I heard you became nocturnal with that bar tending job of yours. You know! We should come by your work sometime! I'll see when Haruhi has time. It'd be fun!"

Tamaki shot a quick glance at Karou and saw the pain in the younger twin's eyes, but looked back at Hikaru instead of mentioning it. "I'm here looking for a crafts store. I need origami paper..." Tamaki said, trailing off.

He wasn't in the mood to mention his problems with Kyouya. Whenever he did, he always seemed to get this knowing glance from Kaoru, but as far as the blond knew, Kaoru had never had a serious relationship with anyone other than Hikaru. That had always made Tamaki wonder just how much of the twin's "act" at the Host Club had been just that.

"Craft store? Origami paper? What for?" Hikaru asked, curiosity piqued.

"Um...well..."

"There's a craft store a few blocks from here, Tono. Would you like me to get directions for you?" Karou asked, saving his former sempai from having to explain himself.

"No, I know where it is. Thank you, though," Tamaki replied with a smile.

"Okay, then we should be going," Kaoru said with a nod. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked in the opposite direction from Tamaki.

Hikaru followed, glancing back at Tamaki before hurrying to catch up with his brother. "But I wanted to know why he needed origami paper!"

"He obviously didn't tell us for a reason. Man, Hikaru, you can be so blind sometimes!" Tamaki could hear Kaoru say as he slipped into the limo that had just pulled up.

He turned and headed down the street, hoping he hadn't forgotten where the store was.

He soon found the store and went in. Gasping at all the wonderful things in the small store, Tamaki turned around, searching for paper.

"Can I help you, sir?" an old man said from behind the counter.

"Oh, yes!" Tamaki exclaimed and hurried over to the counter. "I need one thousand sheets of origami paper!"

"Ah..." the old man said, nodding in understanding. "Our origami paper is over there. We have many different colours and patterns to choose from. Good luck."

Tamaki went in the direction the man pointed and found shelves and shelves of square paper. It came in many different sizes, and, like the man said, colours and patterns as well. Fascinated by them all, the blond quickly became engrossed in the selection and time flew.

His phone went off and Tamaki jumped. Taking his phone out, he saw that he had a new text message. After reading it, he smiled.

"You'd better get up idiot, or you'll be late to work.- From Kyouya"

Texting back a quick "thank you" as a reply, Tamaki picked up five packages of 100 sheets each and headed to the register. He paid for them and left the store, heading for work. He didn't have time to go home then get to work. Instead he put four of the packages in his bag and searched for a seat on the subway.

Tamaki folded cranes on the subway on the way to work, during each of his breaks at work, on the subway on the way home from work and woke up an hour early to fold them before work. In three days he had one hundred. As he folded the one hundredth crane he wished that Kyouya was with him, not the emptiness of the apartment.


	3. Chapter 2 Dreams

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUCKLE!! Okay, Um, this one is in Kyouya's point of view...and I think thats it. Review are loved!!

**Chapter 2 - Dreams**

Kyouya closed the folder he'd been going through and looked at the clock. He still had an hour left before the monthly phone call. Tamaki had been sleeping fretfully for the past week and Kyouya was worried. Even on his days off (what really amounted to taking work he would have normally done at the office home), he didn't see his lover since his day off was Monday.

Kyouya moved his head, effectively swishing his bangs to the side and steepled his fingers over the desk. What to do, what to do, what do to?

The black haired man grinned at ideas flooded into his mind. He _could_ wake Tamaki up when he woke up...he'd be able to satisfy his sexual urges with something other than his hand and his memory for the first time in what felt like years.

No, that would never do. Tamaki wasn't getting enough sleep as it was; Kyouya wouldn't take any more away from him.

_What's the matter with him though?_ Kyouya wondered, wishing he knew and could help. It wasn't like it was during school, when he knew every movement, every thought of the blond's. Well...obviously not every thought. He certainly hadn't expected to be kissed that fatefull day.

A smirk spread across the sculpted Ootori face as Kyouya allowed himself to replay the memory.

It was soon after Haruhi and Hikaru had become a couple and Kaoru had approached him with the idea of not selling the brotherly love anymore and Kyouya finally had proof of two things. First, that Kaoru liked Hikaru as more then a brother, but would never say anything to get in the way and second that he and Kaoru were far (more) similar than everyone thought.

Neither of them would get in the way of the one they loved. Kyouya had loved, and known he loved, Tamaki for three and a half years by that point, but he'd never said anything. He'd always helped Tamaki get what he wanted and that was enough for him. And until that day, it was the only thing he thought he'd get.

* * *

_Kyouya was watching Tamaki and noticed when he got up to leave. It was then that he had called out to him. "Tamaki, don't go. I'd like to discuss something with you." _

_Tamaki sat back down in the large chair and Kyouya could only see the top of his blond head from where he was. "Sure, Kyouya," he said in a forced casual tone. _

_He could see the looks the others were giving the blond from his position by the window, but ignored them. He waited until they were alone to speak. Kyouya asked, in a voice he knew told nothing of the desperation he felt since Tamaki no longer looked at him, "So, what is the matter with you?"_

_The blond started and rose from the chair, turning to look at Kyouya with a bright blush spreading across his perfect face. "Wha-what do you mean?"_

_Eyes flashing, Kyouya tilted his head _just so_ that the sunlight streaming in from the window next to him made his glasses flash. "Don't think I haven't noticed how weird you've been around me lately, Tamaki. You no longer look at me. You purposely face away from me when I host. You leave for home the minute everyone else does. All of our preparation for the next week is done over the phone, or through e-mails, never in person anymore."_

_After waiting a few moments to see if Tamaki could do something other than stutter and stammer incomprehensibly, Kyouya continued._

"_You have to start acting normal if you want the host club continue. The guests are starting to notice and they are disappointed in you. They're not going to continue to come. You need to get a hold of yourself," he said and locked his gaze on Tamaki, moving his head back slightly so the blond could see his eyes and know how serious he was._

_Again, Tamaki looked away from him. Furious, but working hard not to show it, Kyouya shut his clipboard unintentionally snapping it loudly in the empty room, the sound reverberating in the closed space. _Damn,_ Kyouya thought and then mentally shrugged, _might as well take advantage of it...

"_Why won't you look at me anymore?!" Kyouya said, unable to control the rising of his voice and letting go of his tight control. Feelings flitted quickly over his face; annoyance, exasperation, and anger._

_Tamaki winced at Kyouya's rare display of emotion. Opening his eyes he locked his expressive purple ones with Kyouya's own grey. "I-I can't look at you. I just can't."_

_Kyouya felt fury, confusion, and hopelessness rush through his body. He knew he'd never have Tamaki the way he wanted, but never being able to that smile again? Never see the way his eyes shone when he got an idea? Kyouya didn't think he could handle that._

_Tamaki must have seen the emotions rush through Kyouya because he moved as if to step back before finally exploding in rapid French._

"_Je ne peux pas te regarde parce que te faites ma ruée de sang, ma course du cœur et mon esprit se promènent. Je ne peux pas te regarde accueillir parce qu'il me fait vouloir aller à cet endroit et déchirer toutes ces filles loin de te." __Tamaki shouted at Kyouya, tears rushing down his face. [_I can't look at you because you make my blood rush, my heart race and my mind wander. I can't watch you host because it makes me want to go over there and rip all those girls away from you.

"_Je ne peux pas te regarde parce que la chaque fois je le fais me fait vouloir te faire monter contre un mur et te embrasser pendant qu'et poussent ma main en bas vous la culotte! Je ne peux pas te regarde parce que la chaque fois que je fais, je nous vois à l'étage, la culotte autour de nos chevilles, les cheveux trempés avec la sueur et haletant à cause de l'esprit faisant tu le sexe que nous avions juste! Je crois que je tombe amoureux de tu. C'EST POUR CELA que je ne peux pas te regarde Kyouya Ootori!"_ _Tamaki finished and angrily wiped his tears away. [_I can't look at you because every time I do, it makes me want to push you up against a wall and kiss you while I shove my hand down your pants! I can't look at you because every time I do, I see us on the floor, pants around our ankles, hair soaked with sweat and panting because of mind blowing sex we just had! I think I'm falling in love with you. THAT'S why I can't look at you Kyouya Ootori!

_Kyouya quickly translated what the other had said and just barely stopped himself from gasping and dropping his jaw like a commoner. Not being able to fully understand what was going on for the first time in his life, Kyouya just stood there, staring at Tamaki. _This can't be happening. This isn't happening. I'm dreaming...or it's some joke. Some trick Tamaki thinks is tremendously funny. That has to be it...There's no way he- he...what was it? It's impossible that the reason he can't look at me is because he 'sees us on the floor, pants around our ankles, hair soaked with sweat and panting' because of the sex...Things like this don't happen to me; I'm not Tamaki, I don't suddenly become the heir with only an uptight grandmother in the way...

_Kyouya was jolted out of his thoughts by Tamaki's movement. He had stepped back and covered his mouth, shocked at what he had just blurted out. Taking another step back, the blond turned and ran to the door._

No!! I can't let him leave. Even if it is a joke, I'm going to take advantage of it. That way if it is, he'll know never to joke around like this again._ Kyouya reached out, calling "Tamaki..."_

_The other boy stopped and Kyouya's heart rose from its former place in the bottom of his stomach. "Tamaki...wait." he said, dropping his head and his hand, slightly ashamed at having to call the other back._

_Kyouya could head Tamaki turning and taking a step forward. "Kyouya...mon ami. I-I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have said that. I just couldn't take it anymore. You. Just...being there, and-and hosting! I couldn't believe it. I was jealous; a jealousy far bigger than anything I felt for Haruhi...It was insane. I'm so-"_

_As Tamaki had been talking, a courage rose within Kyouya and he rushed to the other boy. He reached out and wrapped his hand around the blond's neck and interrupted his rambling with a kiss-

* * *

_

**Briiiiing! Briii-**

Kyouya shook his head, pushing the memory away and reached for the phone, grabbing it halfway through the second ring.

"Hello, sir?"

"Yes?"

"The call you've been expecting has come."

"Ah, good. Send it through."

"Yes, sir."

A brief pause and a silence followed and then-

"Ah! Hello, Kyouya-san! How are you?"

"I am fine, thank you for asking. And yourself, Suoh-sensei ?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine! How's Tamaki?" the chipper voice on the other end asked.

"He's doing fine; thriving at his new job in fact. I don't see him much anymore, as our schedules prevent that, but we do text each other over the phone and he seems pretty happy. As far as I can tell, he hasn't talked to Haninozuka Mitsukuni or Morinozuka Takashi in a very long time. I think he's been too busy," Kyouya looked out the window of this building and blinked. It felt like he hadn't seen Tamaki in just as long. Continuing he said, "He called Fujioka Haruhi about a week ago and she passed that on to me when we spoke two days ago. Also, when we spoke, Hitachiin Hikaru mentioned that he and Kaoru ran into him outside their building that same day. I think he has a project he's working on, since I was told by the three of them that he was searching for origami paper."

"Oh! That sounds very interesting! I wonder what it is!" Suoh Yuzuru exclaimed, reminding Kyouya of Tamaki so much it hurt.

"I'm not sure yet. How are you coming with your mother if I may be so bold to ask?" Kyouya asked, gently steering the conversation away from Tamaki's project and onto more definite things. He couldn't help but feel that Tamaki's project would reveal itself in time; they always did.

"Well she's accepted that Tamaki is my son, but she's not sure he's fit to inherit yet..." Tamaki's father said gloomily.

Kyouya nodded and filed that way for review at a later time. "Well that's farther then it used to be. He's almost done with those tasks she's assigned him. That should turn her vote one way or the other..."

"Yes, he's done so much. He's worked with little kids, helped design and build a building, worked in the food market, interned in a publishing company, was on the board for a hotel, learned the stock market and has held three jobs! She must be satisfied by now..."

"Yes, he has done many things," _and this is the hardest of them all, _Kyouya finished in his head. While she had said there were tasks for him to perform and in five years she would decide whether he would inherit, there was no way to know how long Tamaki's grandmother was going to make him her trained monkey, and therefore no way to know how long they were going to have to live like this.

"Yes," the voice on the other line said thoughtfully. "I would like to thank you. It has been hard these past years not seeing my son as much as I would like. As you know, Mother demanded limited contact between me and my son during these five years of tasks and it is thanks to you that I have been kept up to date with his life. You two have become very good friends and I am so happy about that."

"You're welcome. It is just like what you did for Tamaki's mother during our school years."

"Ah, it does not surprise me that you know about that at all. I should let you go. You are no doubt busy with many things left to do before you can go home."

Kyouya laughed softly at Suoh Yuzuru's comment and smiled. "Thank you, you are probably more busy than myself. Have a good day and we'll talk again next week." **Click**.

Kyouya set the phone back in the cradle and rubbed his temples. What to do about Tamaki?

* * *

Sincerely believing in the power of the cranes, Tamaki was well underway in his second set of a hundred cranes. He'd been folding them every chance he got, thinking about Kyouya with every one.

On one subway ride, he folded four cranes just thinking of the other's smooth black hair and way it felt like silk when it glided through his fingers.

Another time, at home luckily, he'd been thinking about how life had been before. The way the night was theirs, the only constraints on what they could do was their imagination. He didn't make very many cranes during this, since he had to stop and rush to the bathroom; pretending that his hand was someone else's. Someone with black hair, grey eyes and a smirk on his face as Tamaki moaned his name under his breath.

Currently though, the blond was sitting in the back of the bar, folding cranes during his break. He only had about 10 more until he reached 200 and wanted to finish them before he got home.

As he folded the head down and checked the folds, the timer went off and told Tamaki that his free time was over. Sticking the crane in his bag with the rest of them, he washed his hands and entered the main area of the bar.

He was just turning to clean off the counter when he heard familiar voices. Spinning around, he searched the crowds for the sweet, high pitched voice that was present in many of his Host Club memories.

There! He saw the tall figure of Mori, though Hunny was hidden by the other people because of his hieght. They were coming his way, but hadn't noticed him yet. "Mori-sempai! Hunny-sempai!" Tamaki called to them.

Mori's head turned at the sound of his name, eyes flicking about until he landed on Tamaki. The blond smiled and waved to two over to his end of the bar. "I haven't seen you two in months! How are you?"

When they reached the bar, Mori lifted Hunny up onto the bar stool and then sat down next to him.

"Tama-chan!" Hunny exclaimed. "We heard you worked here and decided to come by! We're fine, but how are you?"

"I'm well. I'm afraid that there aren't many sweet things to eat here...I might be able to find something for you to drink though." Tamaki said disappointedly.

"Oh that's okay!" Hunny said and then laughed at Tamaki's expression.

"He does not eat as many sweets now that he is not in the Club," a deep voice said and Tamaki blinked and looked at Mori, who nodded at him.

"Takashi is right! While I still eat cake everyday, I don't eat it all the time! But," Hunny continued and lowered his voice, motioning for Tamaki to come near. "How are you and Kyouya?" the blond said in a serious tone.

Tamaki gasped and took a step back, looking from Mori to Hunny and then at neither of them. "Wha- How-?" he stammered and then remembered all the knowing looks he got from these two their last months at Ouran after Kyouya kissed him. _Oh. They knew._

Hunny was nodding and smiling and Mori blinked at him.

"We're-" Tamaki stopped again. There was a good chance that Kyouya talked to everyone still, so there was no way he could tell anyone about the cranes. "Um...I'm working on it," he finished lamely.

Hunny blinked in confusion but then nodded. He mentioned drinks and Tamaki went to fetch them. When the other had his back to them, Hunny looked over at Takashi. The elder of the two shrugged and said softly. "I don't know. Maybe Kyouya does..."

"Lets try to find out as much as we can though," Hunny replied in the same low tones and smiled as Tamaki came up. "So, how are you working on it?"

Tamaki blushed and his eyes flicked down the bar, and Hunny knew he was looking for an excuse to leave. "I- um...well. Oh! Can I get back to you about that?" he said quickly and rushed off to help someone who was just sitting down.

_I can't tell them. It'll get back to Kyouya and- and he'll make fun of me, or tell me it won't work..._ Tamaki franticly thought as he poured the customer's drink and set it down in front of them.

After checking the customers along his end of the bar, Tamaki went back to Hunny and Mori. "So, how are you guys?"

"We're doing fine," Mori's deep voice answered.

"Oh, that's good then!" Tamaki answered. At a sad noise from Hunny, Tamaki looked over at his former sempai.

"We've got to go. Oh I'm sorry Tamaki! There's something we've got to do early tomorrow morning," Hunny said after looking at his watch. The two stood and smiled at Tamaki. "We'll come by again, okay?" Hunny's voice said from somewhere behind the counter.

"Okay," he replied and watched them leave, a little sad.

* * *

Kyouya stood in the doorway to the bedroom and let himself sigh. As much as he loathed admitting it (even to himself), he hated going to sleep in an empty bed. He hated the feeling of rolling over and finding only cold empty sheets, he hated the way the bed dipped on his side without his lover's body to even it out, and he especially hated falling asleep without having hugged or kissed or loved his Tamaki goodnight.

Kyouya shook his head, walked over to the bed and climbed in. He lay on his side, under the covers and banished all thoughts of Tamaki. He needed his sleep and, if he thought of the blond haired, blue eyed beauty, he knew he'd never get to sleep.

Soon he was asleep and the dream came.

It was the same dream he'd been having every few nights since Tamaki started this insane job and started becoming his grandmother's pet monkey.

His rational mind would have told him that this was impossible, but when he was asleep, Kyouya's repressed emotions took over and wreaked havoc on all of his rationales.

_Kyouya woke up to the sound of things breaking in the front room and pulled on his glasses. He walked into the main room and found Tamaki searching through things. _

_A suitcase was open on the couch and an assortment of things were piled haphazardly in it. Kyouya could see clothes, magazines, the ear buds to an i-pod. Running his fingers through his hair, Kyouya took another step into the room. "Tamaki? What are you doing?" he asked._

_The blond dropped what he was holding and turned to stare at Kyouya. "Well, I uh..." he said and his eyes flicked to a figure Kyouya hadn't noticed in the corner. "Well, you see..." _

_The figure stepped forward, revealing itself to be a man, and crossed over to Tamaki. He wrapped his arms around Kyouya's lover and smiled. "You see, Tamaki has decided to move in with me._

_Kyouya's anger boiled and he turned to face Tamaki. "What? What do you see in him? How do you know he's not just after your money?"_

"_How does he know you're not?" the man countered._

"_Th- that's impossible!" Kyouya stammered and watched the image dissolve._

"NO!" Kyouya screamed as he sat straight up and looked over to Tamaki's side of the bed. It was empty and would be for a few more hours. The black haired man sighed and shook his head, laying back down and rolling over. Maybe he'd go back to sleep soon...

* * *

On the way home after work, Tamaki thought of Hunny and Mori and what they might tell Kyouya as he folded those last ten cranes.

He quietly came home and put his cranes where he was keeping them, took a shower and crawled into bed. He closed his eyes and tired not to think of Kyouya. It was hard with his intoxicating sent rolling towards him, but somehow he managed to sleep.

Tamaki dreamed too.

_Tamaki gently pushed open the door to their room and stepped inside. He crawled into bed and lay down and suddenly Kyouya rolled over and looked at him. "Kyouya! What are you doing awake?"_

"_I went to sleep early so I could see you went you go home," Tamaki's lover replied and leaned down to kiss him._

_Tamaki buried his fingers in silky black hair and wrapped one leg around the man on top of him. Kyouya's mouth moved from soft kisses or guilty needy ones that trailed down his neck and to that soft spot between his collar bones. _

_Tamaki's hips pushed away from the bed and a moan escaped his lip. He opened his eyes and looked into his lover's grey ones. "Oh, Kyo...I've missed you..."_

_Kyouya nodded and smiled, bending down to give more attention to Tamaki's bare chest, as he did so, he slowly disappeared._

"Kyouya!" Tamaki called and sat up in bed. He quickly looked to his right to see if his lover was there, but that side was empty. Tamaki reached under the covers to touch it and found the bed cold, Kyouya had left it long ago.

Sad, Tamaki scooted over to Kyouya's side of the bed and buried his face in the other's pillow, breathing in the sent of the one he loved as tears trailed down his cheek. Could the power of the cranes be enough to fix this?


End file.
